Bad was recorded during the first half of 1987. The lyrical themes on the record relate to paranoia, romance and self-improvement. Bad is widely regarded as having cemented Jackson's status as one of the most successful artists of the 1980s, as well as enhancing his solo career and being one of the best musical projects of his career. Nine of the eleven songs on Bad were released as singles; one was a promotional single and another was released outside of the United States and Canada. Five of the singles hit number one in the United States, while a sixth charted within the top-ten, and a seventh charted within the top-twenty on the Hot 100. The single that was released outside of the United States and Canada was commercially successful, charting within the top ten and top twenty in multiple territories. Bad peaked at number one in seven countries, as well as charting within the top twenty in other territories. The only songs on the album which were not released as a single were "Speed Demon" and "Just Good Friends", the latter being the only song on the album to also not have a music video accompanying it.

Bad saw Jackson exercise even more artistic freedom than he did with his two previous Epic releases (Off the Wall and Thriller). On Bad, Jackson composed nine of the album's eleven tracks and received co-producer credit for the entire album. The album continued Jackson's commercial success in the late 1980s and garnered six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. Aside from commercial success the album also received critical acclaim from contemporary critics. Bad was ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 by VH1 and number 202 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album marked the final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones.

Jackson's previous albums, Off the Wall and Thriller, were critically and commercially successful,[2][3] eventually selling over 20 million and 65 million units worldwide, respectively.[4][5] Jackson's aim for Bad was that it would sell 100 million copies.[6]

Bad was the first studio album Jackson released in almost five years since the release of Thriller. Bad was the third, and final, musical collaboration between Jackson and Quincy Jones. The album was produced by Jones, with co-production credit given to Jackson.[7] Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons and throughout 1985 while preparing for Disney's 4D film experience Captain EO which featured an early pre-album extended cut of "Another Part of Me." Album development for BAD began in November 1986[8] and recording took place between January 5, 1987, and July 9, 1987,[7][9] at Westlake Audio, where a special wooden stage was built to allow Jackson to dance while recording.[10] Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set.[8] Jones had suggested that the album be cut down to a ten-track single LP.[8] When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone" was included.[7] It was later released as a single. Later reissues of the LP also include this song. Jackson was credited for writing nine out of eleven of the songs on the album.[8] Other writing credits included Terry Britten and Graham Lyle for "Just Good Friends" and Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard for "Man in the Mirror".[7]

"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and musician Prince.[8] Other artists that were supposed to be featured on the album included Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand, but none of those collaborations ended up happening.[8] The album's song lyrics relate to romance and paranoia; paranoia was a recurring theme of Jackson's albums.[2]Allmusic noted that Bad moved Jackson "deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance – essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of immaculate studiocraft."[2]

"Dirty Diana" was viewed by critics as "misogynistic",[2] and its lyrics, describing a sexual predator, do not aim for the "darkness" of "Billie Jean", instead sounding equally intrigued by and apprehensive of a sexual challenge, while having the opportunity to accept or resist it.[11] "Leave Me Alone" was described as being a "paranoid anthem".[2] "Man in the Mirror" was described as Jackson going "a step further" and offering "a straightforward homily of personal commitment", which can be seen in the lyrics, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change."[11] The lyrics to "Speed Demon" are about driving fast.[12] "Bad" was viewed as a rived "Hit the Road, Jack" progression with lyrics that pertain to 'boasting'.[11]

"Liberian Girl"'s lyrics were viewed as "glistening" with "gratitude" for the "existence of a loved one".[11] "Smooth Criminal"'s recalled "the popcorn-chomping manner" of "Thriller".[11] "Smooth Criminal" was thought of as an example of "Jackson's free-form language" that keeps people "aware that we are on the edge of several realities: the film, the dream it inspires, the waking world it illuminates".[11] The music in "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", a duet with Siedah Garrett, consisted mainly of finger snaps and timpani.[11] "Just Good Friends", a duet with Stevie Wonder, was viewed by critics as sounding good at the beginning of the song, ending with a "chin-bobbing cheerfulness".[11] "The Way You Make Me Feel"'s music consisted of blues harmonies.[13] The lyrics of "Another Part of Me" deal with being united, as "we".[13]

Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the Bad world tour

The album was released August 31, 1987.[14] By September 26, it had debuted at number one on the Billboard 200,[15] remaining there for the next six consecutive weeks.[16] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Bad eight time platinum for having shipped nine million copies in the United States alone.[17] Though Jackson furthered his stance as a global pop superstar, in the United States Bad failed to match the sales of Thriller, causing some in the media to label the album a "disappointment" in comparison.[8][18]

Internationally, Bad was commercially successful. In the United Kingdom, the album sold 500,000 copies in its first five days of release, and as of 2008[update] is certified 13× platinum, for sales of 3.9 million, making it Jackson's second biggest-selling album in the United Kingdom.[19]Bad peaked at number one in 25 countries[20] including Canada,[21] Japan,[22] the United Kingdom,[23] Switzerland,[24] New Zealand, Austria, Sweden and Norway.[25] The album charted at number three in Italy and number thirteen in Spain, Mexico and Australia, as well as number twenty two in Portugal.[25]Bad has received various certifications worldwide. Bad was certified 7× platinum for the shipment of over 700,000 units in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[26] In Europe, the 2001 reissue was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for the sales of one million units.[27] The album was also certified platinum by the IFPI for the shipment of over 20,000 units in Hong Kong.[28] Globally, Bad is Jackson's overall second best-selling album, behind Thriller, with a reported sales between 30 to 45 million units as of 2012.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35]

By the time Bad was released, Thriller had already sold millions, raising expectations for the new album. A commemorative special on Jackson's life, The Magic Returns, was aired on CBS around the time of the release of Bad.[13] At the end of the documentary, the channel debuted the video of the title song from the album, "Bad", which was directed by Martin Scorsese and featured then up-and-coming actor Wesley Snipes.[13] The marketing strategy, mastered by Frank DiLeo among others, also included Jackson producing another mini-movie around the time of the Bad world tour. That film, Moonwalker, included performances of songs from Bad, including "Speed Demon", "Leave Me Alone", "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal", the latter two released as sole videos at the end of the film.[36][37] Jackson's tour for Bad was a major financial success, grossing $125 million by the conclusion.[38][39]

The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" became the first of five of the album's singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number one on September 19, 1987, and also charted on Billboard '​s R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number one and number two respectively.[40] Internationally, the song also peaked at number one, in three territories, United Kingdom, for two weeks,[41] and nine weeks in both Norway and New Zealand.[42] The album's second single, "Bad", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 16, 1987.[43] The song topped the Spanish charts, as well as charting within the top-ten internationally.[44] "The Way You Make Me Feel" became the album's third consecutive single to peak at number one on Billboard '​s Hot 100.[45] The song primarily charted within the top ten and twenty internationally.[46] "Man in the Mirror" charted at number one on Billboard '​s Hot 100,[47] and charted at number four, eight, and ten in New Zealand, Australia, and Austria.[48] On July 2, 1988, "Dirty Diana" became the fifth consecutive, and final, single to peak at number one on the Hot 100.[49] "Dirty Diana" was successful internationally, charting within the top ten in eight territories.[50]

"Another Part of Me" charted at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.[51] Internationally, "Another Part Of Me" was a mid success compared to its previous singles, peaking at number five, fourteen and thirty two in the Netherlands, New Zealand and France.[52] "Smooth Criminal" became the sixth top ten single on the Billboard 100,[53] and saw similar success internationally, charting within the top ten in five territories, and within the top forty in all its international countries.[54] Released outside the United States and Canada, "Leave Me Alone" topped the Spanish charts, as well as peaking within the top ten in five other countries.[55] The album's last official single was "Liberian Girl", which did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but was generally successful internationally, charting mainly within the top twenty.[56]

The singles success of Bad was extremely successful in the UK, where seven of the singles from the album all reached the UK top ten by 2009 (six initially, until Man in the Mirror jumped from position 21 to 2 in 2009), just like Dangerous achieved in 1991-1993. This was a record for any studio album in the UK until Calvin Harris broke this in 2013.

Bad was generally well received although some critics noted that Bad did not measure up to Thriller's success. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, of Allmusic, a publication launched in 1991, stated that Jackson "approached" Bad much the same way he approached Thriller, which was to "take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward."[2] Erlewine, who gave the album four and a half out of five stars, commented that while the album "rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache," it still made Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it."[2] Davitt Sigerson, of Rolling Stone, stated that "even without a milestone recording like "Billie Jean", Bad is still a better record than Thriller."[11] Sigerson commented that "filler" songs in Bad such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl" made Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."[11]

Music critic Robert Christgau gave Bad a "B+" grade, remarking the "closest thing to genius" is the album's song "Leave Me Alone," and that the record "damn near wrecks perfectly good dancin' and singin' with subtext."[57] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described Bad as being a "gleaming, high-tech dance record that's just a little eccentric at the edges".[13] Parales also noted that Bad "sounds up-to-the-minute" and that the album also has a "concocted synthesizer-driven arrangements" that are "clear" and can "carry a solid kick."[13] Richard Cromelin of The Los Angeles Times commented that the record was "not bad" and was more "reminiscent of Off the Wall '​s uniform strength than Thriller '​s peaks and valleys."[60] Cromelin felt that it would be "disappointing" if this album's "creative level" is where Jackson wants to stay.[60]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military styled jacket with a belt during the Bad era to give himself an edgier look.[8]

Bad made history as being the first album to have five of its singles peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 consecutively; "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana" all charted at number one on the music chart. To date, only one other album has achieved this milestone: Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, in 2010. The record has still not been surpassed.[8] Jayson Rodriguez of MTV, noted that "following the twin cannons that were Off the Wall and Thriller wouldn't be an easy task for most, but Jackson's follow-up, 1987's Bad, was formidable by all accounts."[18] Rodriguez commented that the album was "wrongfully dismissed by critics because it wasn't the sales blockbuster that Thriller was" and that during the Bad era, Jackson's vocal hiccups and stammered "shamone" would become staples in his music that were "heightening and highlighting the emotion of his lyrics."[18]Rolling Stone commented that "the best way to view" Bad was not as "the sequel to Thriller.[11] In 2009, VH1 said of the album,

Understandably, the expectations for the album were ridiculously high, and grew even higher after Jackson planned duets with the likes of Prince (on the title track) and Whitney Houston (and Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand). None of those collaborations ended up happening, but they only increased the hype for the album. Bad was a deeply personal project for Jackson – he wrote nine of the 11 songs – one that saw him gain further independence and debut a harder-edged look and sound.[8]

In 2009, Jim Farber of The New York Daily News wrote that Bad "streamlined the quirks" of Jackson's two previous albums to "create his most smooth work of pop to date."[67] A writer for The Daily Telegraph commented that while Bad was another worldwide commercial success, the album "inevitably failed to match the success of Thriller despite Jackson's massive and grueling world tour".[68] In 2009, a writer for The Miami Herald reflected back on the anticipation for Bad, describing the album's release as being the "most hotly anticipated album in history".[69] That same year, Stephen M. Silverman, a writer for People magazine, viewed Bad as being "when some slippage" in Jackson's "popularity began to show".[70]

The album's songs have been covered and parodied by multiple recording artists since its release in the late 1980s. Notable cover versions include Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" and Shakaya's cover of "The Way You Make Me Feel". Notable parody versions include "Weird Al" Yankovic, who had previously recorded a parody of Jackson's song "Beat It".[77] Yankovic parodied "Bad", entitling his version "Fat" in 1988; the song won a Grammy Award the same year for Best Concept Music Video.[77]

It was announced on May 3, 2012 that the Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records would be releasing a 25th anniversary album of Bad. The album was named Bad 25 and was released on September 18, 2012.[78] Since the release of Bad 25, there has been a discontinuation of the special edition of Bad.

Re-issues of Bad feature a number of changes when compared to the original 1987 release:

"Bad" – The original mix was replaced with the 7" single mix. The most notable difference is the lack of horns in all the choruses except for the last two. Horns are also missing from the second and third pre-choruses. The rhythm guitar during the choruses is also turned up along with the hi-hats.

"The Way You Make Me Feel" – The full-length remix used for the single with louder vocals and ad libs added to the end replaced the original album mix.

"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" omits Michael Jackson's spoken intro.

"Dirty Diana" is replaced with the single edit of the song.

"Smooth Criminal" went through two changes on the album. It was remixed to make the kick drum heavier and the bass synth fatter. The quick-sequenced synclavier behind the bass has been rendered mono as well. The first version of this mix left the breathing intact, but was later removed after some time.

"Leave Me Alone" wasn't included on the original vinyl release but was included on the CD release and now is included in all releases.